Against the Empire
by Eitak Renmus
Summary: A Pau'an wondering the streets of Corescant comes across a young Twi'lek in need of aid. Neither knows how important the chance meeting will be for the other. OC's.


AN: This is another little snipped from the Star Wars series I have in my head. Some are third person, some are first. Someday I'll unify them all into one big story. To better understand this, read my other fic titled Te Rechu'son. Enjoy! For pictorial references to these characters, check out the link under my name.

It all started when I was striding purposely down a crowded Corescant skywalk, one of the only 'aliens' in sight and on my way to my daily luncheon at a local restaurant that still served people such as myself. It was a bright, haze free day and one could see the gleaming mega structures reaching right up to the brim of the false planet. 'False Planet' that is what I liked to call Corescant and it was the only thing that really fit it in my mind for the whole thing had been eradicated of most its natural life eons ago and had become in itself one massive city that spanned the length and breadth of nearly every available inch of its surface. Some say that Corescants orbit was altered due to this massive up building. It was beyond my capacities to think how many trillions of tons had been heaped upon its hemispheres. And with buildings came aliens and with aliens came transportation, food, trash, sewage, power and all the various other things that life requires in this day and age. The only thing keeping Corescant from turning into one planet sized ball of refuse are the massive air refiners stationed in a kind of net in the planets atmosphere. Also sewage and trash depositories are state of the art – wastes are refined into reusable fuel and sold at ridiculous prices. Without these all life would cease to exist and Corescant would probably breath a sigh of relief.

But alas that this is not the case and the False Planet thrives in an uneasy state of nervousness regardless that its glittering surface may say contrary. Anyone looking beyond these carefully up kept structures – several hundred stories down – will see the dirty underbelly of the planet. Like a show beast with a gleaming coat but rotten organs, Corescant functions only to fool the masses and those rich enough to inhabit the prosperous upper levels are usually blinded by their own success and thus they ignore the slum and gang ridden majority who lived in poverty where the sun never penetrates. Not to say all of us who are well enough off to walk on tiles not littered with trash or feces are ignorant to our surroundings. I, obviously, am not and a fair few others have enough head on their shoulders to know that Corescant is slowly rotting from the bottom up. Indeed, many of these people know all about the poor state the lower levels are in. They know – but they don't care. They've got more important things to do! Bah, to those who are obviously just too lazy to work their way out of the muck. Let them deal with it themselves. Why should we aid them? That is the unfortunate mindset of many of my peers. But then…I am not much better. I acknowledge it exists, I empathizes with those suffering but still I do very little to help.

I have never myself traveled to the depths of False Planet; I have never spoken to those teeming in indignation at people like myself. All I do is give a bit of my pay to charities better stationed to give relief and aid than myself. A lot of good I would do, striding in a well to do manner, right into the heart of darkness. I'd be killed and stripped of all my goods in a matter of minutes. I seem to have a knack for attracting dangerous sorts and I'm sure it wouldn't fail me just because I was trying to do a good deed.

But still I do what I can. My options are somewhat limited seeing as I am an 'alien' in the rather odd position of some prestige under the rule of the empire. 'Alien' is completely ridiculous term in this day and age. We are all aliens to someone. Is not the Emperor himself an alien to this planet? He was not born here so one would think that he would fall under the category he so despises. But of course, I forget that 'alien' now means 'not human and therefore of lesser standing and privilege'. It is because of this prejudice so enforced by the Emperor and his underlings that it is rare to see an alien on the upper levels of Corescant. Perhaps that is why, as I wound my way in between humans of all shapes and sizes, the young Twi'lek was drawn to me.

I saw him in the reflective siding of an estate building ahead of me, half masked by blooming foliage trailing up a light post on the corner. I slowed my long, sweeping gate without so much as a ruffle of fabric; enough to study the newcomer without seeming too suspicious. I was surprised certainly. He seemed completely out of place; his untidy, disheveled appearance hardly fitting in with the nearly sickening cleanliness and what was more, he certainly seemed lost. Being adrift in a sea of people who harbored prejudice to non-humans was not a good thing at all. He would surely be confronted and questioned by troopers and escorted to a station for further questioning.

He turned his well-defined Twi'leki head to and fro, his lekku draped haphazardly around his shoulders, seeming anxious. Unfortunately my eyes do not like such bright light as we were having today and I could not tell by his reflection if he was looking at me or the group of humans to my left. I kept my gaze still focused on his reflection. He seemed to come to some conclusion in his mind, gave a little start of speed and caught up to me, his lips pursed.

Carefully reading his intentions in his reflected face and body language, I made sure the young man wasn't about to pull a blaster on me…or worse. Instead he cleared his throat and said "Excuse me, excuse me sir, I don't mean to inconvenience you but…" Ah, he must want directions. I turned, in a manner that most would consider graceful although it comes naturally to my species, and stared down at the Twi'lek. He was about 1.8 meters tall and of a medium, stately build. His skin was a light olive, his eyes a startling orange and he looked as though he'd just been run through a mill. Details I hadn't seen in his reflection showed that his clothes were actually torn in a few places, and he was covered in small bruises. I wandered in a deep part of me if perhaps my reluctance to go down and help people in the slums of Corescant directly had come back to haunt me by sending disheveled beggars right to my feet.

But no, I quickly shelved that thought feeling disgusted with myself as I did so. This man seemed panicky, wary and in need of aid. The least I could do was offer some assistance. "Yes young one?" I said, bowing my head in a manner of acceptance. "How might I be of help to you?"

I saw a flicker of relief pass across his face and he continued. "My ship…" He paused, took a deep breath, and I did not miss the grief that tinged his eyes before he plowed on. "My ship was shot down in open space heading towards the Yavin system. Our rescue pod was programmed to bring us to the nearest planet, which was here." He seemed altogether unsure of himself. "I've never been to Corescant before, but I know that it is not friendly to aliens. I thought that…perhaps you…being a non human, that maybe you could point me in the direction of some assistance." He hurried on as though afraid I might deny him any such thing. "There are three others in the pod, a family with a small daughter. She was injured when our ship was destroyed. I know female Twi'leks in the hands of imperial care would only end up as slaves…and I have no connections on this planet,"

He was right of course and had done the proper thing by not immediately notifying the Imperial Storm Troopers. While I had little doubt that their immediate medical needs would be met I was sure that in order to meet the costs of their treatment, they would become indentured to the Empire. Slaves in other words.

"What is your name?" I asked him quietly. He paused visibly before answering. He wasn't sure if he could trust me.

"Katal." He said at length.

"My name is Heltis Entraut. I am most aggrieved to hear about your ship and current circumstances. However, it is not safe to mention too much else in our _current location_." I leaned closer to him, bringing my gray, lined face closer to his ear. "If you would be so kind as to lead the way to your rescue pod I will follow at a close distance so as to avoid suspicion." Two aliens conversing in this area had already drawn some attention but so far all the surrounding humans did was cast a curious or disapproving glance at us.

He seemed to understand my meaning, and, still looking rather wary, turned on his heel and sped off down the gleaming walkway. I looked about myself and saw that no troopers were nearby and pulled out my day planner. The more occupied I looked the less likely it would seem that I was trailing Katal. I followed behind him as near as I dared to go, wondering if his story was true. If it was than he truly did need help. If it weren't than I might be following a bum into a back ally to be mugged. I didn't think this would be the case though. He seemed genuine and I was often good at reading peoples intentions so I held my course. He entered a lift and I watched him descend down the narrow, well-lit tube. I let a group of human tourist onto the next lift before following to the next story down. I saw him near a food vendor waiting for me to get within following distance and he started off at a brisk pace once more.

Weaving throughout the constant crowd, I managed to both look busy and keep and eye on him. We descended five more levels and across numerous walkways to a relatively less inhabited area that looked to house a large factory of sorts. Billowing smoke stacks blew thick torrents of steam into the air, obscuring my vision and the long catwalks leading from building to building seemed to be unoccupied. If he wanted to mug me, he'd led me to the perfect place to do it. The only blessing of this location was that the harsh midday light could not penetrate the billowing clouds of mist.

Figuring it was safe enough to catch up with him now, I strode easily to his side. "I managed to land on the roof of one of these manufacturing towers. I hoped the steam would keep us out of the sight of Imps for a while." He said as he headed towards the base of one of the smoke stacks.

"One can only hope, my young friend, as such talk would not do if any were nearby." He grimaced slightly and glanced about him, perhaps expecting the ghostly white form of a Storm Trooper to materialize out of the camouflaging steam. We stopped at the base of a smoke stack and began to ascend the spiral staircase. We climbed up until I was beginning to feel my age and then mercifully we reached the level steel of a catwalk. Now the steam was thick enough that I could hardly see the pail Twi'lek so I hurried my pace accordingly. Ahead of us the catwalk split into three other directions and as I wondered which we would be taking, my companion began to climb down a rail ladder that I had not noticed. I followed, cursing my traditional robes and then berating myself for cursing tradition. Presently my feet hit level ground once more and I realized that the steam had obscured the height that we had climbed. Even after our descent down the ladder we were now standing on top of one of the massive buildings I had made out from ground level.

"Here it is." Katal said shortly and he walked over to a low slung, streamlined ship the make of which I had never seen. Beads of moisture hung off of its metallic chassis as the steam bathed it in shimmering clouds. The ship looked as though it were crying. Katal walked to a panel on its side and keyed in an entry code with his clawed fingers. A door on its long flank opened with a pressurized hiss and lowered slowly to the roof. Curiously I peered into the pods interior and saw that the young mans story had been true. A male and female Twi'lek stood anxiously in the opening, a young girl cradled in her mother's arms and crying loudly.

"I brought help," Katal said from behind me as the other two survivors hurried down the ships entry ramp. "Come on, come on, Imps could be all around us by now, someone's bound to have seen us land."

"Here, let me get a look at you." I said and quickly looked them over for any wounds. The mother and father did not seem to be injured, only shaken. Their daughter had suffered a blow to the head. They had wrapped a piece of cloth from one of their outfits across it as best they could but she would still need to visit a medical droid to see if more extensive damage had been done. "Has any one suffered any injuries not visible to the naked eye?" I asked, as I noted with some alarm that the girl's wound was still bleeding.

"No, no, we're fine! Please, help her!" The mother said in heavily accented basic, seeming on the verge of tears. I saw the father turn to Katal and whisper, "Is he trustworthy? How can you be sure he won't lead us right back to imperials?" He seemed both frightened and angry.

"You're not in the position to be doubting my allegiances. Your daughter needs medical attention and I will get it for you if I can." I said while taking out my transmitter and keying in the number of an old friend. The old Devoronian ran a restaurant in one of the seedier areas of Corescant, thirty stories up from the bottom…about as close to it as I ever got. He was a trustworthy man, especially if he was paid the proper amount.

"Yeah? Graton's Diner. Order in or Take out?" Came his gruff voice from the other end. Silently I thanked the heavens he'd picked up.

"Graton, its Heltis Entraut and-"

"Heltis! You not been around in a while. Didn'tja like the soup or you find some Imp place serve ya better?" He guffawed loudly causing me hold the transmitter at arms length.

"The soup was fine." I said, ignoring the strange looks the Twi'leks were giving me. "I have a favor to ask of you, and it must be done quickly."

"I don know…haven't had much business recently. Lost lotta credits from a former customer. He'd owe me fair bit of business for this _favor_."

"And he'll _give _you his business if you'd take him seriously for a moment."

"I got your word?"

"Yes! Now quickly, what is the number of the doctor you said your customers go to after eating a bad meal?"

"What? Ilensil? His code is 1.442,556.50. You didn't get sick off Imp food they serve up there did you?"

"No I'm fine. Thanks very much Graton, I'll see you shortly." Without waiting for a reply I quickly keyed in the number he had given me. Almost at once a deep metallic voice resonated through the transmitter.

"Good evening. Thank you for calling Ilensil-ta Medical Practices. How may we be of service?" A medical droid. Somehow their metal voice resonators managed to sound warm and soothing.

"Please let Dr. Ilensil-ta know that Heltis Entraut," I spoke my name very clearly, "will be bringing in 4 Twi'leks for immediate medical examinations. One with a head injury."

"Yes Heltis Entraut. Dr. Ilensil-ta will be notified of your arrival. Thank you for choosing Ilensil-ta Medical-" I didn't bother waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"Can he help us?" The woman asked.

"Yes. The medical droid in his employ is informing him that we will be arriving shortly."

"Is he within walking distance? We can't fly that thing over to him." The father gestured towards their rescue pod.

"He's right. Its much to conspicuous." Katal agreed.

"That will be taken care of as well." Dialing yet another number into my transmitter I called up the services of an air taxi and gave him our coordinates. Luckily there were still taxis enough to ferry about 'aliens'. "An air taxi is on its way." I informed them as I shut off my transmitter and tucked it back into my deep red robes.

"Thank you so much!" The mother cried, cradling the still bawling child to her bosom. The father nodded, but still seemed wary.

"You are very welcome, but most thanks is due to your companion here who sought me out."

"She's already thanked me enough." Katal said, delicately folding one of his lekku back across his shoulder. I studied him for a moment longer, my lips pursed.

"But you are injured too!" I gasped, taking a few steps closer to him and inspecting the lekku more closely.

"It's nothing." He said quietly but after a few minutes of my worrisome pestering he relented and slowly undraped his lekku, with a small gasp of pain. I grimaced as I saw the wound. An angry scarlet gash upon his pail skin, it appeared to be nearly 6 inches long and perhaps half an inch deep. The side of the lekku that had been resting against his body was smeared with blood, as was the collar of his clothing. I knew that lekku were extremely sensitive appendages and that such a wound must be causing him a great deal of pain. Perhaps that was why he had not bound it, for fear of aggravating it even more.

"I wish you would have told me of it sooner. It would have been good to inform the medical droid of two serious injuries rather than one." I pointed out. He didn't pay my reprimand any heed, as he was much to focused on re-draping the damaged lekku across his should, looking quite sick as he did so.

After another tense few minutes we could hear the low hum of an air taxi. I turned on my transmitter so that he could pick up my signal through the steam. A foggy light shone through the chilled mist, quickly followed by a slick yellow taxi.

"Heltis Entraut?" The driver, a Quarren, asked thickly.

"Yes that's me." I answered, brandishing my identification card. The driver nodded and opened the cab doors. I allowed my four companions to enter first and shut the door behind me as we shot out of the steam and into the orange tinged afternoon sky. I shielded my eyes and cursed under my breath, as I had been starring directly into the sun as we cleared the plumes of mist.

Katal gave me a curious look, and I realized that he'd heard my minuscule vocalization. "The sunlight." I explained. "My eyes are rather sensitive to these surroundings."

"Ah." He responded simply. I realized the young man seemed exhausted and pained and felt a pang of sympathy for him. For the hundredth time since I'd met him, I wondered what exactly had happened to them while on their travels. They'd all obviously suffered some sort of trauma, but the extent of this and the severity of the catastrophe that had propelled them into my midst remained a mystery to me. Did Katal have anyone whom he could rely upon now that he was in such a precarious situation? I was not so worried for the family. The little girl would be healed shortly and they all had each other to lean on. They would be all right, especially with a bit of credits to get them to a safe haven. I intended to give each of them enough credit to get off planet if they desired it. I was not cold hearted after all. But where would this young man go? Perhaps he had family back on Ryloth, the Twi'lek home planet. But no…Ryloth was about as safe as Corescant or my own world these days. I shook my head slightly, and regained my composure. No, too many questions. I would have to wait to get my answers.

Within seven minutes the air taxi stopped, it's engines winding down to a low throb and we departed, myself paying the Quarren. Following the narrow, dimly lit walkway that led to the interior mass of buildings, I found myself remarking as I always did at just what a difference a couple hundred stories could make. In stark contrast to the metallic, glaringly sterile upper levels, this area, thirty stories from the squalid bottom was in a great state of disrepair. Bulbs flickered weakly, shining a feeble light in the near total darkness. Everything was coated in thick layer of grime and the structure upon which we walked seemed to groan under the weight of us, protesting the millions of feet and other appendages that had trod and slithered upon its scuffed and worn surface. No…I might never be able to bring myself all the way to the bottom.

Two metal panels slid open before us and we found ourselves in the waiting room of Ilensil-ta Medical Practices. The circular reception desk was manned by two medical droids and a rather surly looking Rodian. The room was ovoid, well lit and littered with chairs upon which sat many different species, some dabbing at their noses and sniffing slightly, one with three black eyes and some merely lounging and watching the holonet waiting their turn to see their respective doctors.

The Rodian saw and addressed us before I had a chance to say anything to her. "Are you one…" She turned her massive, gleaming black eyes on a small list, "Heltis Entraut?"

"Yes. And these are the-"

"We got two medical droids ready to see you through the door on the right down the hall, room, 203." She went back to plugging data into her vid screen, letting me know that any form of communication was over. A little disgruntled at her lack of manners I led my companions down the hall and into the room assigned to us.

"Greetings Heltis Entraut and patients. Please sit. We will begin treatments shortly." A mournful looking medical droid announced as it wheeled over to us. We immediately spread across the room, myself sitting in a spare chair and the others sitting on a long medical bench. The two parents seemed edgy and I realized that perhaps they had never seen a medical droid before and were averse to being treated by one. The real reason for their unease was unearthed a few short moments later as the droid examining their daughter announced that she would require a full hour and a half in a bacta tank to make a complete recovery. The mother gasped and the father seemed torn.

"We don't have the money for that!" He exclaimed. "Isn't their something else you can do for her?"

"I'm sorry sir, but your daughter has formed a blood clot which could break loose and cause a stroke or death. Bacta treatment is highly recommended." The droid said in its monotone, soothing voice. He seemed struck and at his wits end, staring at his small, now quiet child. It looked as though she had passed out.

"I'll take care of your treatment costs." I intervened and then turned to the nearest droid. "Do what needs to be done, please." I watched their shocked faces happily.

"You can't!" The father yelled. "It's far too much!"

"Of course I can. I have had no one to care for or spend money on for decades, so please don't deny me such a small pleasure. Besides, I couldn't sit by and let a child die while I lounge here with the ability to help." The father seemed as though he were about to retort to this, opened his mouth and then shut it in welcomed defeat. The mother was too busy watching the droids prepare her daughter for the Bacta tank to be indignant.

I could see Katal staring at me with a look of surprise on his light olive face. He saw that I had seen him staring at me and then averted his eyes. He seemed ashamed for some reason. "I'm not in the habit of having another pay my way for me." He said quietly.

Ah, that was it. He felt bad at having to accept my hospitality. "You'll just have to deal with it." I said with a smile. "And that reminds me. Droid, this young man has suffered a wound to his left lekku. Please see too it that he is healed." Katal's eyes snapped back to me in surprise. He must have hoped I'd forget about his injury. As the droids neared him, I thought for a split second that he might run for it rather than let the droids near his sensitive appendage but he seemed to change his mind and merely shot me a frustrated and betrayed look. As they un-draped his lekku he whispered silent words which could have been curses or prayers in his native tongue, clenching his fists in pain.

I leaned back in my seat, satisfied that everyone was being attended to and not at all worried by the look Katal had given me. I'd seen that look on the faces of my own children when telling them to do something that they did not wish to do. Such an expression was universal among disgruntled youth.

The mother and father were treated for small abrasions, while the daughter was now floating sedated in a small bacta tank, an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, and several electrodes dotting her deep orange skin.

Katal had been given a small dose of anesthesia so that he would not cause a fuss while the droid treated him. He lay in a semi-conscious and thusly amusing state on a second medical bench, looking about him in a politely confused fashion. I smiled to myself. Although I had failed to eat my lunch or return to my office, I was not concerned. As senior bookkeeper to the Empires financial quests, practically no one could dock my pay for taking half a day off. It was probably the first time I'd done such a thing since gaining employ nearly thirty years ago.

After two hours, Katal's wound had been bound, and the young girl was out of the bacta tank and back in her mothers arms, looking at her surroundings in a curious way, her thumb in her mouth and bearing no sign of her recent injury. Katal was still rather groggy, and he got dizzily to his feet as the droids wrote out clean bills of health for their four patients. We exited the room and headed back to the reception desk where I took care of their bills. The father grimaced; obviously feeling ashamed that he could not care for his families needs this one time. Katal was busy rubbing his forehead, while leaning heavily on the desk and trying to gain his bearings.

"Mr. Entraut." The mother said, walking towards me. "We can not thank you enough for the kindness you have showed our family. Our daughter would have died without your aid." She bowed low to the ground and her mate followed suit. "I regret that we have nothing to offer you in return, as we lost our belongings in the attack against our ship."

"Your brief companionship has been enough. Please, do not feel guilt at accepting my aid. It was a pleasure to be of use to someone." I said and inclined my head. "I am not done yet though. You are stranded on a planet that does not give basic rights to peoples such as ourselves and you and your child will be targets for the entertainment market. Therefore, I ask you to accept this gift." I reached into an interior shirt pocket and removed a credit chip worth five thousand and handed it to the father who looked at it and exclaimed in his own tongue. He quickly made to hand it back to me but I waved his hand away.

"Don't be foolish. You can't afford not to accept it. Take your family far from this corrupt core. Head to Yavin where they are expecting you and do what you can."

He looked as though no one had ever given him so much aid, and seemed completely flustered. Finally, at a loss for any retort he kneeled to the ground, head bowed and said, "You have done our family great service and undue kindness, Sir Entraut. I apologize for my previous distrust. I, Nalda Talkann'at, my mate, Rell, and daughter, Valla, are in your debt and service. We offer you an honorary place in the house clan At." Rell joined him, kneeled and bowed her head as he said this. As they rose it was my turn to be flustered.

"You do me great honor, Nalda, indeed too much." I said, feeling somewhat faint.

"It is the least we can do for you." He said and then seemed rather embarrassed. "I am afraid we have a few more things to ask of you."

"Name it."

"Might we call another air taxi, and do you know of a ship port we may use to get off planet?"

"Ah yes, of course." I pulled my transmitter back out of my pocket and keyed another taxi. "You will want to use one of the light freighters heading towards Tatooine. They stop on Yavin to unload passengers and parts. That will be your best bet." I explained to them as I waited for a pilot to pick up. They nodded in understanding as I described our coordinates to the taxi.

I turned then to Katal, whom was leaning now on the wall and regarding the whole situation in something close to awe. "What about you, young one? Where will you go to?" I asked.

His eyes quickly focused on me and he pondered this question for several minutes. "I have no where I wish to go." He said simply.

"You will stay here then?" I was slightly surprised. If given the opportunity to get off of this planet and start over, most aliens would jump at the chance.

He shrugged, his eyes down cast. "I haven't decided what to do yet." I regarded him sadly and the urge to ask him what had happened was nearly overwhelming. But I was saved from opening my mouth as a low hum reached our ears and another slick yellow air taxi swooped down to the front of the hospital, just visible through one of the muck stained windows.

I quickly ushered all of us outside to the narrow walkway we had just recently crossed. As the cabbie opened the doors, I paid him and told him his destination; a Space Port a few levels up and several, several blocks away. The Talkann'at family was busy giving their thanks to Katal, Rell giving him a large hug. As they made their way into the taxi, Rell reached out and hugged me as well, a sensation I had not experienced in many years.

Touched, I reached inside my robes, pulled out a card with my name and contact information on it and handed to them. "Please, if you need anything or run into trouble, do not hesitate to call me."

"Thank you." Rell said.

"Good fortune go with you all." I said and touched my forehead with both hands, palms inward, then opening them in a traditional gesture of farewell. As the taxi sped off, I wondered if the small family would make it to their destination safely. The galaxy was so vast, so harsh…it was a miracle it allowed anything to survive at all. What was one family of Twi'leks in the overall picture of things?

I sighed and turned to my remaining companion. He still seemed a bit dazed. Whether this was an after effect of the anesthesia or due to the shock of his situation I could not tell. Either way, I felt that I could not simply hop on an air taxi, retire to my apartment and pretend the young man would be all right down near the slums of False Planet. I felt the urge to care for him and to ease his pain welling up inside of me. Perhaps it was because I had had my own children taken from me that I wanted to protect him, make up for my failings as a father somehow.

"Katal, you do not look well. Come, let me take you to a diner. You could use some food and rest."

"Its Van." He said quietly, now leaning against the grimy outer wall of the hospital.

"Hmm?" I asked, not sure of what he meant.

"My name. It's Van Rensu'uta, not Katal." I looked at him curiously.

"I did not think it was Katal. It was obvious that you couldn't trust me right off. Giving an alias was a wise thing to do."

He nodded silently not meeting my eyes. I pursed my lips. I could see now that his hurt went far beyond the physical one suffered to his lekku. He was withdrawing into himself, trying to keep his emotions from ravaging him, trying to deny that what had happened to him had actually happened, afraid that acknowledging it would make it real. I'd seen this before and recognized the symptoms, as I'd experienced them myself.

I strode over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, careful to mind his lekku and began to lead him away from the hospital. "Come. Eat first then come to terms with it." I said softly. He didn't flinch at my touch or try to pull away. I was certain that he was so overwhelmed that the only thing keeping him on his feet was grief. A gang of thugs could rob, and strip him and he might never notice.

I led us quietly up several lifts and over a few blocks until I reached our destination: Graton's Diner. Despite its rather rough exterior lit by a grotesque flickering neon sign, and the grimy looking aliens that often frequented it, Graton's Diner was nearly clean on the interior and, for a building this close to the bottom, it was relatively well lit and even had a Jizz band playing off near the bar. It was a popular destination to those who weren't allowed to frequent the high dining of human society. It was noisy and full of enough activity that if Van had a breakdown he might not be noticed by anyone but myself.

As we entered the diner, a Gotal greeted us and took us to seats to the left of the kitchen, where the sounds of clinking dishes and sizzling foods would further mask anything Van had to say from prying ears. I inhaled deeply as I steered Van by the shoulders into the seat opposite my own and sat down, realizing that I was very hungry after missing my midday meal. Van must have been too, for against his will he lifted his eyes and cast a furtive at the kitchen, an expression of longing playing about his face.

We sat in silence until our waitress, a frazzled looking human, approached us with four thick menus in her arms. Not all humans were upper class elites. She turned first to Van. "Leaf or Meat menu?" She said without greeting herself. Van was obviously lost in his mind because he didn't pay her any attention. She gave him a severe look and brandished the menus in front of his face, effectively snapping him out of his daze. "Hey you, Leaf or Meat?" She repeated.

"What?" Van asked as though he had only just noticed where he was and what was happening. "Oh. Leaf." She dropped the menu in front of him unceremoniously and turned to me.

"And you?"

"Meat please."

"Together or separate?"

"Together and could you let Mr. Graton know that a Heltis Entraut would like to see him?"

She repeated my name under her breath. "Yeah, sure. Lemme know when you're ready." She bustled off through the isles and back into the kitchen. I stole a glance at my companion and saw that he was leafing through the menu without seeing anything it offered, retreating back to his mind.

"You mustn't do that. It isn't healthy." I said quietly to him. He made no reply, nor did it look like he'd heard me at all. "Van." I said a little more loudly, but still gently. His orange eyes looked into my deep black ones.

"It's not healthy, to retreat into your mind like that…I do not know what it is that you and your companions went through but I do know that locking your emotions away will only cause your more pain."

"I am grateful for your help but please do not tell me what to do." He said and went back to leafing through his menu.

I sighed. He didn't have to listen to me, he might consider it lecturing, but I wished he would. "Might I at least ask what has caused you this sorrow?" I was risking him getting angry, or he might withdraw further into himself. I already had a good idea what it was. Only the Empire was equipped to deal out devastation to planets and people all the way in the outer rim.

"Imperials." He said softly and shut his menu in a violent motion, before leaning back in his seat, arms folded across of his chest and his lips tight. I looked him in the eyes, more pity welling up in me along with anger I had been resolutely harboring for decades.

"I thought it must have been. Only they are so adept at breaking ones spirit in a one swift blow." The acid in my voice must have shown, a sharp contrast to the calm gentile tones I had used all afternoon for his eyes snapped back to mine in a brief flicker of curiosity and hope before returning to the cover of his menu. This brief spell was ended as I heard a bark-like laugh signaling the arrival of Graton Vylis.

"Heltis! Heltis, you make me happy, coming back to my diner! Makes me not regret giving you information!" He slapped me jovially on the back with his thick red hand and I allowed a small smile to cross my face.

"You know I keep my deals Graton. Besides I needed the…hmm..._charisma_ of such a place on an evening like this."

"Charisma, yes, no shortage, no shortage of that. So come for charisma, but no food? You playing? Deal no good unless there's some credit old line face." The tall, powerfully built Devoronian gave me a look that would have chilled another creature's blood but I laughed. He was merely putting on a show and we would often say derogatory things to one another. If I got the best insult on him, he'd take a small fee off my bill. If he got the best one on me, then I'd give him a large tip.

"Unfortunately I _will_ be ordering some of the swill you dish out of this rat house."

"Usual?"

"Yes please."

Graton chortled deeply, his rough composure breaking. "Ha! Knew I serve your likes for a reason. And oh!" He turned and just now seemed to notice Van, looking both curious and forlorn. "You got Lekki friend with you tonight?"

"This is an acquaintance of mine, Graton. The number you gave me earlier today saved one of his companions daughters."

"Really?" He said incredulously. "I indirectly help saved life?" He suddenly looked rather smug and in awe of himself.

"Now don't get big headed, with those ghastly horns it's big enough already." I jousted.

"Hey now! You want big head you lookit him wormhead!" And he motioned to Van. Graton immediately realized his faux pa and clasped his hands to his mouth. "Oh, oh, sorry, Lekki friend, sorry. I get carried away. Heltis eggs me on. Sorry yes, meal on me!"

Van gave him a sour look but merely rattled off his order of a 'five layer fungus platter'. Graton bowed himself away and returned to the kitchen. Now left to ourselves for the time being, Van looked at me side long. He swallowed deeply as it seemed to cost him effort to speak and said,

"You know the Empire?"

"What do you mean? Everyone knows _of _the empire, or course." I led him on, drawing him into the conversation he'd started although I knew perfectly well what he meant.

"No I mean…you've been touched by them?" He quickly avoided my eyes before continuing. "What you said earlier, about them breaking ones spirit…" He trailed off, afraid to venture further without my consent.

"Yes, you're right young one." I said with a sigh. I leaned back, remembering events that had happened long ago but seemed as fresh to my minds eye as though they had happened this morning, events fueled by the Empire and events that I had dedicated my life to avenging. "I have suffered at the hands of the Empire, although there are hardly any here whose lives have not been touched in some way or form by their foul deeds."

Van breathed deeply and rubbed his forehead. We sat in silence until our waitress brought our orders out, setting them before us with a clatter. Not surprising to me, Van ate with relish, not realizing how hungry he'd been through his sadness. I picked at my choice cuts of well seasoned raw meat, more interested in if Van would continue to speak to me on our previous subject than with my food.

When he'd finished every scrap of his fungus platter and drained his glass of water, he breathed deep and looked as though he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He leaned his face heavily on his hand, eyes unfocused as I finished my meal. After a few minutes Graton came back to our table and collected our dishes. He still seemed rather ashamed of himself for letting slip the remark about Van, but he still paused to make small talk before heading back to the kitchen.

"So how work going, Ancient?" He asked idly, while picking up our utensils.

"As well as can be expected." Privately I hoped that he'd change the subject.

"Dunno how you standing it, workin for Imps. Wonder you been not killed yet."

"Well it is-"

"You work for _Imperials_?" Van interrupted, his eyes now intensely focused on me, his voice full of cold, quiet fury. I could practically feel his anger branching off of him. Graton looked at him in surprise, steadied his stack of dishes, uttered "oops" and headed back to the kitchen.

"Yes, but d-"

"I cannot _believe this_. All that talk about the Empire ruining lives and you're ONE OF THEM! Were the directions you gave that cabbie to an Imperial detainment camp? Is that where that poor girls headed too?" His voice was acid, but I could feel myself bristling under his accusations. The words flew out of his mouth in indignant rage. "You said you were touched by the Empire and you _are_ imperial! And to think I almost trusted this act of yours, after what I've gone through, for all I know you helped destro-!"

"Do not _dare_ make such assumptions." I said in a voice that rivaled then surpassed his own. "Do not _dare _think for a moment that you are the only one suffering, that only you have known pain, young one!" I was standing now, unable to help the anger coursing through me.

"_Stop calling me that!_" He spat. It took me a moment to realize what he meant through the haze of my anger. I understood then and sat heavily, suddenly feeling weary to my bones and incredibly tired, all anger evaporated and replaced with exhaustion. Van seemed to think he'd worn me through, but something in my slumped posture held his angry rant in check. Perhaps, as much as he didn't want to trust me, some deep part of him longed for some one to speak with.

"You are young to me, Twi'lek." I said softly, my voice back to normal. I lifted my gaze to him. "You are….in your mid twenties?" He nodded slowly. "I am 198 years old. You are very young…impossibly young, to me. I have been around long enough now to see and experience things that no mortal should ever go through." Van was staring at me warily now torn between trust and distrust, but at least the chance of him storming off seemed to be gone.

"I work for the empire yes. I am head bookkeeper of the Empires financial dealings in the militaristic department. It is not an involved role, but an informative one. It also pays well." I added as an after thought. "The Empire hired me because no one else came close to my dedication, ability and eagerness to do my work but they don't know the half of it." I regarded Van severely before continuing.

"While I work for the Empire, I also work for another client, and one that may be more to your liking, young one. The Rebel Allegiance is very interested in the Empires militaristic dealings and I give them information with relish."

"You're a…spy?" Van asked tensely.

"For many decades now my only goal has been to bring the Empire down in any way I can, and if that means working for the Empire itself, than so be it. It may not seem like much, and indeed the Empire is careful to never let any actual finished product list into my hands but by compiling parts, dates, shipment origins and costs, I am able to give the Rebellion fairly detailed specs and guesses." The Twi'lek seemed visibly taken aback by this and more than a bit confused. Perhaps it was this that led him to his next question, heedless of how outright personal it was.

"Why is that your only goal?" He asked and I could not miss the hope that gleamed in his bright eyes.

"That is a very personal question." I said as I leaned back into my chair. I could vaguely see Graton operating a juicer, watching us from afar with a tentative look upon his face, hoping that he hadn't caused me too much trouble. I understood that the young Twi'lek needed to hear that I'd suffered too, that he was not alone in his fight against the empire. He needed someone he could confide in…and I needed company and to make up for my woes as a father if he ever came to see me that way. He needed to trust me and I needed him to trust me.

"Do you know what race I am? Or where I come from?" I asked him. He seemed unsure of the intent of my question, and looked rather ashamed as he told me he did not.

"Do not feel badly, not many know of my people." I soothed. "I am a Pau'an one of two sentient species on the sinkhole planet of Utapau. Our planet was a peaceful planet, and we'd resolved to never do battle. Because Utapau is an outer rim planet, we attracted little attention and also very little trouble. You know of the Clone Wars?"

Van nodded slowly, hanging on my every word and understanding what it was costing me to even speak it.

"During that time I was…150 years old, still relatively young by our standards. The separatists from the old senate had come to our planet, knowing that we were largely pacifist to set up their operations. Their leader, General Grievous, held our people hostage. Then the Jedi came to us. It is said that he came to destroy the Separatists but with him came an army of clones. When the Empire overthrew the Senate, the Clone armies obeyed only his command. The Clones swept through the planet, wiping out our pitiful resistance. The Jedi fled."

"Under the empires order we were put into camps and forced to mine our own planet. My mate and I were separated during the attack and she was put into a separate mining 'colony' they called them, along with three of our four children." I paused here. It was still difficult to speak such things. "My mate and children died there; worked and starved to death…something I only found out after the regimen on Utapau was lessened. I never found my fourth child, my youngest, but he could not have been of use to the Imperials, so I know his fate well enough. I also lost my mother, niece, brother and two cousins. I'd failed to protect my family, something I've never forgiven myself for. After that, I vowed to avenge their deaths, the raping of my planet and to bring down the Empire regardless of the cost to myself," I breathed deeply after expelling this story, and clasped my hands tightly in my lap to make it seem as though I were still composed.

Van remained silent for several minutes, processing all that I had said. "I'm sorry Heltis." He said softly. "I should not have said such things about you, I didn't understand."

"You couldn't have." I smiled half-heartedly. "I hadn't explained to you yet. You had every right to be suspicious after hearing such a thing." Van kept quiet for a few minutes more before asking,

"How old were they, your children?"

"My oldest daughter, Trehen, was 31. My daughter, Seldit, was 20. My third daughter, Dolvah, was 11 and my son Hautan was 3." I felt tired and stretched thin, now. Rumaging through my robes I pulled out my day planner and from it pulled a worn piece of paper. "That is all of them, a picture taken some thirty years ago."

Van took the picture that I knew by heart, their faces looking up at me, all of us unaware that we would soon be torn apart. Those faces that I loved beyond all else yet they also tormented me with the knowledge that I had failed them. I gazed wistfully at the picture as Van examined it. He handed it back to me looking more pail than usual.

"And you, young one, what is your vendetta against the empire?"


End file.
